Voices for Safety podcast: Unequal cancer care for people with a learning disability in the UK (16 June 2026)

Summary

To mark Learning Disability Week 2026, this episode of Voices for Safety explores a critical patient safety issue: the inequalities people with a learning disability face when accessing cancer care.

Host Dr Louise Gorman speaks with Dr Oliver Kennedy, an NIHR Clinical Lecturer at the University of Manchester and a Medical Oncologist at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, whose research uncovers stark inequalities across the cancer care pathway in the UK.

Drawing on a large-scale NIHR-funded study of over 180,000 people with learning disabilities, Dr Kennedy explains how they are less likely to be referred for specialist tests, more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage, and around half as likely to receive treatment, resulting in much shorter survival times.

Together, they explore why these gaps exist – from communication challenges and diagnostic overshadowing to systemic barriers in screening and treatment – and discuss what needs to change across prevention, diagnosis, and care to create a more equitable system.

Released during Learning Disability Week 2026, this episode highlights the urgent need for more inclusive, accessible healthcare systems and the importance of ensuring everyone can receive timely, effective, and safe cancer care.

Further reading on the hub:

• Top picks: Breaking down the barriers faced by people with learning disabilities